Uh Oh, Here Comes Trouble

This Friday come on over to the ol' Gallery and see what the new show is all about.

The Who and the What: David Johnson's exhibition "Books and Prints"

The When: 6:00 - 8:00

The Where: The Bakery Gallery - 1330 E. 12th Street in D'port

The How: Lots of driving, mounting shelves and sweating...an unusual amount of sweating

The Why: Come on, really?

David will be there to answer all of your questions. Maybe there will even be a baby or two for you to poke. (don't poke the babies please)

Or come on out to see the newly spackled and painted walls (did I mention the sweating...that's what caused it)

Lets end this pre-show with Johnson's Artist Statement for the Exhibition. It'll get you revved up in all the right places.

I make woodcuts, linocuts and etchings; otherwise known as Relief and Intaglio prints. I make Relief prints because they are the most primitive and therefore easiest: I can make them at home with a gouge and print them with a roller and a wooden spoon. A Relief print or woodcut transforms my drawing into something unforeseen with increased impact from the cut marks and resulting shapes. I discovered Intaglio prints or etchings at college in the mid 70’s when Iowa was the Printmaking capital of the world with an emphasis on Intaglio. When I think of Intaglio I recall what Mrs. Olsen used to say about Folger’s Coffee, “It’s the richest kind”.

I am very interested in Drawing and how when we draw we unconsciously select and emphasize aspects or elements of nature. The world is an immensely interesting and fascinating place at its best. To draw from nature or life is a way of studying and appreciating nature and life.

Prints are a way for me to select the most successful drawings from my sketchbooks and extend them. They seem to increase in richness and impact when I develop them as prints. When I combine things from different drawings into one composition the associations create additional implications; what do these two people have to do with each other? Why is this fellow jaywalking? Is this the student ghetto? Is this a dodgy part of town? When images are combined in books there are immense possibilities for association. And with books there are innumerable elements of consideration; drawing, printing, writing, type, binding, and paper just to name a few. I have come somewhat late to books; I have only made them for about fifteen years. I feel like a kindergartener in the realm of books, that is I am still a primitive; I have only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities.

See you on Friday. Bring your friends